Morning journal and courier., 1887-04-09
AN IMMENSE CONGREGATION.

How Fast Day Was Observed by the
 Dominican Fathers at St. Mary's
 Cburch-Ftve Thousand People At
 tend the Evening Services-The Sing
 Ing of the Ohlce of Tenebrae-Ab stract of a Sermon by a Leading Catholic Orator.
 Fast day services at St. Mary's (R. O. church were attended by very large congre- gations both morning and evening. Prepa- ration had been made by the Dominican
 fathers to have the services on a grander l scale than they have ever before been ob- served with, and the result was that at the last evening service fully 5000 people were | in and about the cathedral after the service
 began. Hundreds of people from the sur
 rounding parishes were unable to gain admit l tance. The aisles, vestry and vestibule were
 packed with dense mass of people eager to 1 get glimpse of the impressive Tenebrae ser
 vices which were being sung at the glittering
 high altar. In the sanctuary were seven Do | minican fathers who took part in the inton- | ing They were Rev. Fathers A. V. Hig- | gins, the rector, c. H. McKenna, J. c. Kent,
 P. o. Hartigan, F. w. Linnihan. s. P. De
 Cantillon, O'Mahony and O'Connen. The
 services were begun at 7:30 o'clock. The
 music was of high order. Organist Cahlu
 and selected singers rendered the service in unison with the intoning of the priests in a | very moving and impressive manner.
 The announcement had been given out that | the Rev. Father De Cantillon, one of the ! leading Dominicans in the country, was to preach, and many from other faiths were in the great throng present to hear this noted | orator. He spoke on 'The Meekness ot | Christ" Father De Cantillon is a speaker of high order. He is possessed of voice rich I and clear and he has a most impressive and entertaining manner of drawing the attention | of congregation. Splendid exhibitions of oratory are being rendered constantly at St. | Mary's since the coming of the Dominican | fathers, and last evenings, it was generally | conceded, was fully up to the standard. The ! leading Catholic orators of the country have | lately preached at St. Mary's.
 ''If there is one virtue," said the speaker, ''that man needeth more than another 1t is humility. Even though man had all the | others in an eminent degree and was lacking humility he would not be perfect. If you ! were asked what manner of man was Christ you would describe him not so much work CT of miracles, but as above all the meek and lowly man of Nazareth. In this respect he stands alone and sublime. No man could suffer so keenly. Christ eclipsed all other men. What is it that makes him the excep- tion among the meek3 Every insult offered him. His enemies sought every pes sible way to torture and persecpte him. He could have made use of his Fathers power,
 
 he did not He rather appealed to them, prayed and humiliated himself to them for their own sake. Throughout his sad and laborfous life he was the very picture of humility and meekness. Had master mind among men laid bare his pride and subjected himself to insults, taunts and ribaldry you would say what great and voluntary resignation of pride and meekness. Yet there is no comparison be- tween such a mans and Christs meekness. Christ was indeed God well as man. But Jesus Christi body and soul, was the most perfect God could have formed. You can judge how Christ suffered when taunts and insults innumerable were heaped upon him. But to crown all his sufferings kicks and blows were inflicted while passing through the vile tribe of Pharisees. But 1t was in his last hours that his meekness stands out in full sublimity. His sublime sorrow caused him more suffering than all the infu- riated Jews could infict. Their taunts and buffetry fall into insignihcence alongside of it. Here is a man going to slaughter. He sees the horror and it shows out on his fore head, and the drops of blood trickle to the ground.
 'Not an angry expression escapes him. Ohl why does he go so to the slaughter? Why has he consented to drink of this bitter cup? Oh! Christ, divine Christ, what torture must have been yours. To live and suffer taunts and insults was like man, but to die drinking
 
 is there man who would not struggle with all his power against such leath.
 "Behold with what weakness and patience he addressed the traitor Judas when he met him in the garden after having undergone the most excruciating agony. Judas! be- trayest though the Son of Man with kissP And when the cruel soldiers spat on him and smote him, what contrast to the anger of the apostles. When his passion wrought followers saw him thus subject ed to insult they asked him: Shall we strike with the swordp What is his reply2 Put thy sword in the scabbard,' said he, addressing St. Peter; ire who strikes with the sword shall perish by the sword But this is not all. To bear insults is hard; to endure islander is still harder; but when the insults were changed to buffetings and blows what magnificent image of meekness and cover him with spittle and throw purple robe on his shoulders"
 The orator now gave 8 vivid word picture of the scene preceding the crucifxion, DOT traying in vivid language that held spell bound his hearers the sublime patience of Christ under the most terrible of ordeals.
 The speaker then besought his hearers to constantly bear in mind the great suffering that Christ had endured for their sakes. I'm agine his awful road of suffering to the cross, his torn and crowned head and his gashed body. Ponder on the humility with which | he bore himself through this terrible ordeal. | Go with him through all the seas | of torture and agony and then witness the | last sad act, which was but the confirmation of the end Then ask yourself if you have any right to be as you are, when Christ sui fered so much for your sakes. Be meek and patient. Humiliate yourself like Christ. l When you exhibit passien, when your good ] name is tarnished and insults heaped upon you then consider what Christ suffered and 1 ask yourself if you are ready to take up his 1 cross and follow him. Remember Christ's | humility is your humility. What model | in human blood was the Son of God! Though | the world curses you Jesus Christ still re- | mains your Saviour. He has taught us through every page of his mortal life humil- |